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The F Word

A personal exploration of modern female friendship

By Lily PebblesRead by Lily Pebbles

£P.O.R.

A personal celebration of female friendships - the good, the bad and the complicated - by lifestyle content creator, Lily Pebbles.

A personal celebration of female friendships - the good, the bad and the complicated - by lifestyle content creator, Lily Pebbles.

If there's one piece of invaluable advice for women and girls of all ages, it is that there is nothing more important than creating and maintaining strong, positive and happy friendships with other women.

In a culture that largely pits women against each other, I want to celebrate female friendships... all strings attached!

If my 1998 diary is anything to go by, female friendships are incredibly complex and emotional but they're the mini love stories that make us who we are. For many women, friends are our partners in crime through life; they are the ones who move us into new homes, out of bad relationships, through births and illnesses. In The F Word I've set out to explore and celebrate the essence of female friendship at different life stages and in its many wild and wonderful forms.

(P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Other details

ISBN:
9781473680197

Publication date:
08 Mar 2018

Page count:

Imprint:
Hodder & Stoughton

Yellow Kite

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids

Carla Naumburg

Authors:

Carla Naumburg

So, you're losing your sh*t with your kids. You scream, you shout, you snap at them. You're cranky and irritable more often than you'd like to admit. You know how you want to parent; you want to be a calmer, more rational and intentional parent, but no matter how hard you try, you can't help it. You keep losing your shit.Just remember: YOU ARE NOT A BAD PARENT.How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids is as honest and compassionate as it is pragmatic about helping you work through your sh*t to be a more present and positive parent. Increasingly relevant to today's parents, who are more overloaded, overwhelmed, and overworked than ever before, Carla Naumburg PhD has the antidote to the feelings of complete despair and rage. How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t With Your Kids is a simple, accessible and humorous guide to more effective and mindful parenting.

My Past Is a Foreign Country

Zeba Talkhani

Authors:

Zeba Talkhani

27-year-old Zeba Talkhani charts her experiences growing up in Saudi Arabia amid patriarchal customs reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, and her journey to find freedom abroad in India, Germany and the UK as a young woman.Talkhani offers a fresh perspective on living as an outsider and examines her relationship with her mother and the challenges she faced when she experienced hair loss at a young age. Rejecting the traditional path her culture had chosen for her, Talkhani became financially independent and married on her own terms in the UK. Drawing on her personal experiences Talkhani shows how she fought for the right to her individuality as a feminist Muslim and refused to let negative experiences define her.

Asghar and Zahra

Sameer Rahim

Saltwater

Jessica Andrews

Authors:

Jessica Andrews

'This book is sublime. It dares to be different, to look in a different way. Andrews is not filling anyone's shoes, she is destroying the shoes and building them from scratch.' Daisy JohnsonWhen Lucy wins a place at university, she thinks London will unlock her future. It is a city alive with pop up bars, cool girls and neon lights illuminating the Thames at night. At least this is what Lucy expects, having grown up seemingly a world away in working-class Sunderland, amid legendary family stories of Irish immigrants and boarding houses, now-defunct ice rinks and an engagement ring at a fish market. Yet Lucy's transition to a new life is more overwhelming than she ever expected. As she works long shifts to make ends meet and navigates chaotic parties from East London warehouses to South Kensington mansions, she still feels like an outsider among her fellow students. When things come to a head at her graduation, Lucy takes off for Ireland, seeking solace in her late grandfather's cottage and the wild landscape that surrounds it, wondering if she can piece together who she really is. Lyrical and boundary-breaking, Saltwater explores the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, the challenges of shifting class identity and the way that the strongest feelings of love can be the hardest to define.

M for Mammy

Eleanor O’Reilly

Memories of the Future

Siri Hustvedt

Authors:

Siri Hustvedt

A provocative, wildly funny, intellectually rigorous and engrossing novel, punctuated by Siri Hustvedt's own illustrations - a tour de force by one of America's most acclaimed and beloved writers.Fresh from Minnesota and hungry for all New York has to offer, twenty-three-year-old S.H. embarks on a year that proves both exhilarating and frightening - from bruising encounters with men to the increasingly ominous monologues of the woman next door.Forty years on, those pivotal months come back to vibrant life when S.H. discovers the notebook in which she recorded her adventures alongside drafts of a novel. Measuring what she remembers against what she wrote, she regards her younger self with curiosity and often amusement. Anger too, for how much has really changed in a world where the female presidential candidate is called an abomination?

Read and Riot

Nadya Tolokonnikova

Authors:

Nadya Tolokonnikova

"Stylish, striking, and elegantly packaged...as indispensible to confronting, say, your domineering mother-in-law or your local city council as it is to helping foment an ongoing and ever-escalating insurrection against, say, a sexist, racist, nepotistic power-mad oligarchy threatening to destory democracy as we know it...My advice: Buy one" - VOGUEFrom artist, activist, and Pussy Riot founder Nadya Tolokonnikova, a guerilla guide to radical protest and joyful political resistanceThe face of modern protest is wearing a brightly colored ski mask.Nadya Tolokonnikova, founding member of the Russian activist group Pussy Riot, is a creative activist, professional protestor, brazen feminist, shocking visual artist, and force to be reckoned with. Her spontaneous, explosive approach to political action has involved jumping over barbed wire, kissing police officers, giving guerilla performances in crowded subway cars, and going on a hunger strike to protest the abuse of prisoners. She's been horse-whipped by police in Sochi, temporarily blinded when officers threw green paint in her eyes, and monitored by the Russian government. But what made Nadya an activist icon overnight happened on February 21, 2012, when she was arrested for performing an anti-Putin protest song in a Moscow church.She was sent to a Russian prison for 18 months and emerged as an international symbol of radical resistance, as calls to "Free Pussy Riot" resounded around the world. With her emblematic ski mask, black lipstick, and unwavering bravery, Nadya has become an emissary of hope and optimism despite overwhelming and ugly political corruption.Read & Riot is structured around Nadya's ten rules for revolution (Be a pirate! Make your government shit its pants! Take back the joy!) and illustrated throughout with stunning examples from her extraordinary life and the philosophies of other revolutionary rebels throughout history. Rooted in action and going beyond the typical "call your senator" guidelines, Read & Riot gives us a refreshing model for civil disobedience, and encourages our right to question every status quo and make political action exciting--even joyful.

Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog

Emily Dean

Whale Done!

Ken Blanchard

Authors:

Ken Blanchard

What do your colleagues, spouse and kids have in common with a five-ton killer whale? This work explains that both whales and people perform better when you accentuate the positive. It shows how using the techniques of animal trainers - specifically those responsible for the killer whales of SeaWorld - can supercharge your effectiveness at work and at home. It explains the difference between 'GOTcha' (catching people doing things wrong) and 'Whale Done!' (catching people doing things right).A management classic from the author of the multi-million-copy bestseller THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER.

13 Things Mentally Strong Women Don't Do

Amy Morin

Authors:

Amy Morin

The emergence of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have awakened society and encouraged women to find their voice and claim back their power. Contending with a host of difficult issues that demand psychological strength - in this crucial book, prominent psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker Amy Morin gives women the techniques to build mental muscle in 13 steps.Delving into critical issues like sexism, social media, social comparison, and social pressure, Amy offers thoughtful, intelligent advice, practical tips, and specific strategies; combining them with her personal experiences, stories from former patients, and both well-known and untold examples from women from across industries and pop culture. Throughout, she explores the areas women - and society at large - must focus on to become (and remain) mentally strong.Amy reveals that healthy, mentally tough women don't insist on perfection; they don't compare themselves to other people; they don't see vulnerability as a weakness; they don't let self-doubt stop them from reaching their goals. Insightful, grounded, and extremely timely, 13 THINGS MENTALLY STRONG WOMEN DON'T DO can help every woman flourish - and Amy will take readers on this journey with her, every step of the way.

Fed Up

Gemma Hartley

Authors:

Gemma Hartley

No more grin and bear it: how and why we all need to reset the domestic balance. Gemma Hartley is a mother and journalist on a mission: to throw fresh light on the hidden burden of 'emotional labour' (washing, wiping, worrying, soothing, shopping, preparing, planning, cooking, caring), and find out why it is that the bulk of these thankless, hugely time-consuming and frustrating jobs fall to women.Gemma's article: 'Women Aren't Nags; We're Just Fed Up,' was shared by millions of readers, giving voice to a huge number of women whose frustration and anger is mixed with incredulity. Is this really where we're at 50 years post-feminism? Gemma's quest to get to the bottom of the problem and find out how to solve it will take you deep into your own subconscious bias, and sees her challenging the foundations of her own marriage to try to forge a better, more balanced way to live. Fed Up puts forward a thought-provoking, honest and impassioned case that any woman in a relationship should take an unflinching look at her own home life and ask: "How could we do this better?" The answer might just save your sanity, and your relationships.'It's time you got Gemma Hartley's new book on the emotional labour done by women. Fed Up, out now, is a groundbreaking read.' - Lorraine Candy, Editor-in-chief of Style magazine'This book by Gemma Hartley opened my eyes to why, for so long (too long) women have carried the mental load. It's full of advice for women and men on overcoming the relentless arguments and looking at the bigger picture.' - Clemmie Hooper, AKA Mother of Daughters

Born Lippy RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK

Jo Brand

Ambition Redefined

Kathryn Sollmann

Authors:

Kathryn Sollmann

It's time to acknowledge that not all working women are interested in climbing the corporate ladder or securing the corner office. Most want and need flexible, less life-consuming work to accommodate their real lives, and it's not weak, lacking ambition or letting down the sisterhood to pursue professional fulfillment and financial security through less lofty, or headline-making ways.Eye-opening and practical, Ambition Redefined is a welcome alternative to 'women's business books'. Sollmann calls it like it is: everyday women want and need flexible work that allows them to unapologetically pursue their own brand of ambition and success. She shows them how without sacrificing themselves, their careers or their families. Armed with practical insights and tools, readers will be empowered to go after opportunities beyond traditional definitions of work, career and success. They will learn why they should never leave the workforce, how to make a case for flexibility in a current full-time job, how to find flexible employers, industries and job functions and how to return to work after time away raising children or caring for elderly parents.

Yes She Can

Ruth Davidson

Authors:

Ruth Davidson

'Modern, punchy and fresh' Sunday Times'A positive and fascinating read' Stylist'A collection of unexpectedly revealing interviews with "mould-breaking women"... This optimistic volume also includes an intimate memoir from Davidson herself' GuardianThe woman who trains Indian special forces in armed and unarmed combat, the UK's most capped footballer, a dotcom millionaire, the BBC's first female political editor, a member of the Royal Household, an eminent forensic scientist, an Olympic gold-medallist, the prime minister... this book is for every daughter, every mother, every aunt and every niece, as seventeen of the world's mould-breaking women share the life lessons they've learned. Every single one of them has shown that yes, she can.Revealing, enthralling, informing, in YES SHE CAN Ruth Davidson weaves her own inspiring journey with these personal stories into a timely rallying call for generations to come.

Four

Andy Jones

Authors:

Andy Jones

Two couples. One reckless night. 'Secrets and lies have a nasty habit of coming out at the least appropriate time . . . moving, thought-provoking and beautifully written' Daily Mail'Engaging . . . an incredibly emotional story' The Book Bag'We love this novel and didn't see the ending coming. . .' Closer**************In the time they've known each other, Sally, Al and Mike have shared - well, almost everything.Sally and Al have been married for seven years, though now their relationship is hanging by a thread.Sally and Mike have been best friends since university. And on many occasions something more.Mike and Al have been friends and colleagues for many years. Yet with Al poised to become Mike's boss, their friendship comes under threat.And now there's Mike and Faye. They haven't been together long, but Mike's pretty sure that, this time, it's the real deal.As the three old friends sit on a train heading towards Brighton to meet Faye, little do they know that after this weekend, the four of them will have shared . . . everything.They all know they have made a mistake. But they could never have imagined the consequences.**************Praise for Andy Jones:'What happens the morning after the night before, when the night before was when you did the most reckless thing of your life? I loved Andy Jones's stylish portrayal of four people who make way too much history in one night, and just couldn't put it down until I found out the fate of each of them' Catherine Isaac'I'm always wary about comparing books but, just this once, I'm going to make an exception because for me this is one of those few novels that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as One Day. It has everything you could want from a romcom and then some' - Sun on The Trouble With Henry and Zoe

The Girl De-Construction Project

Rachel Gardner

The Back-Up Plan

Alice Judge-Talbot

Go Ask Fannie Farmer

Elisabeth Hyde

Authors:

Elisabeth Hyde

'A remarkably lucid and authoritative novelist' John IrvingAS RECOMMENDED BY ELLA WOODWARD 'Accomplished, assured . . . A richly rewarding read' The Sunday Times'A first-rate storyteller, funny and compassionate' Woman & Home******Murray Blair had some serious matters to discuss this weekend, and he wanted things to run smoothly. But harmony, that Artful Dodger in so many families, had its way of eluding his family as well. . .Though the adult Blair siblings have agreed to keep things calm and amiable on a trip to stay with their elderly father, each arrives, in true Blair style, with a secret agenda. But plans are derailed when Lizzie, the youngest, turns up late with a burnt hand, impending criminal charges, and a damp family cookbook: Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking School. The now ruined cookbook is the last vestige of a more idyllic time, when there were four siblings, not three, a public family reputation to uphold, and a mother whose handwritten notes in the margins of the recipes are their last link to her after the accident years ago. But secrets will always out, especially amongst family: and this weekend, the Blair siblings will learn that there is more to their mother's story than they could have anticipated... Told in three parts, roving between then and now, Go Ask Fannie Farmer tells of the life and death of Lillian Blair, the over-bearing, bickering, but loving children who look for ways to connect with one another in her absence, and the inner lives we hide from our families.'Irresistible' Prima'Hyde's latest novel will delight readers' Booklist'Hyde creates a family we can all relate to . . . and does so with great humour' Woman

The Sober Diaries

Clare Pooley

Authors:

Clare Pooley

Like many women, Clare Pooley found the juggle of a stressful career and family life a struggle so she left her successful role as a Managing Partner in one of the world's biggest advertising agencies to look after her family. She knew the change wouldn't be easy but she never expected to find herself an overweight, depressed, middle-aged mother of three who was drinking more than a bottle of wine a day, and spending her evenings Googling 'Am I an alcoholic?' This book is the bravely honest story of a year in Clare's life. A year that started with her quitting booze and then being given the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. By the end of the year she is booze-free and cancer-free, she no longer has a wine belly, is two stone lighter and with a life that is so much richer, healthier and more rewarding than ever before. She has a happier family and a more positive outlook. Sober Diaries is an upbeat, funny and positive look at how to live life to the full. Interwoven within Clare's own very personal and brilliantly comic story is research and advice as she discovers the answers to questions like: How do I know if I'm drinking too much? How will I cope at parties? What do I say to friends and family? How do I cope with cravings? If I stop drinking will I lose weight? What if my partner still drinks? And many more.